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Highlands Today

Birdfeeder Provides Seed For Thought

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Joyce Minor

Published: February 10, 2008

It was a sunny spring morning and I had the day off. What could be better? I clutched my coffee cup and looked out the kitchen window. Dew sparkled on the grass and dripped slowly from the eaves. Two cardinals perched on our backyard feeder — a male and a female. It was absolute serenity.

"Mom, where are you?" My son bolted into the room, sounding peeved. "Mom you forgot to include the W-2 forms when you mailed our tax returns. Now what?"

Serenity gone, instantly. I had screwed up, big time. My mistake would delay the refund we were counting on to pay Matt's tuition. Even worse, my husband would be disappointed. He had gone out of town, trusting me to figure and submit our tax return. And I had botched it, at least partially.

My mind raced over a dozen problems that could result. Why did I have to screw up something so important? Still fretting, I looked back out at the feeder just in time to see the birds suddenly dart away. What had interrupted their peace?

Then I saw him — a chubby little ground hog calmly munching grass and waddling along the edge of the woods that border our yard. This cute, timid creature had scared the birds away. They didn't know that ground hogs are vegetarians and pose no threat to birds. To them, he was a predator. They didn't know there was no need to fly away. The birdfeeder, high atop a pole, was holding them secure above the danger. They also didn't know that I, the true birdfeeder, was there watching them, delighting in them, and providing for their needs.

As I watched, the ground hog ventured farther from the safety of the woods to nibble the soft grass and begonias I had planted around the base of the feeder. Every few bites he lifted his head to watch and listen. He, too, was alert to danger — afraid of predators. Just then the neighbor's dog barked, sensing the presence of the intruder. And the ground hog scurried back into the woods to find his family. The dog was on a leash, but the ground hog didn't know that. The ground hog was no threat, but the dog didn't know that.

I sipped my coffee and watched, and eventually the cardinals returned — not to the feeder, but to a nearby tree. First the male perched on a high branch. When he was sure the "predator" was gone, he fluttered back to the feeder. A moment later the female cardinal appeared on the same high branch and waited till her mate joined her there. Then, as he flew away, she descended to the feeder. They had determined it was safe for him to leave her for a time. She would be watchful, and soon they would come back together in their nest.

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